


After the Fallout

by judysharding



Category: Wentworth (TV)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:13:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26160919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/judysharding/pseuds/judysharding
Summary: Ann has a bad day so Vera agrees to have a drink with her to try make her feel better.
Relationships: Ann Reynolds/Other(s), Ann Reynolds/Vera Bennett, Vera Bennett/Ann Reynolds, Vera Bennett/Other(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This AU is set after episode 8x5, named ‘Fallout’. The first part of this fleshes out the conversation Ann and Vera have before leading into the AU.
> 
> Trigger warnings for mentions of terrorists/terrorist attacks/bombs.

Ann didn’t know how she’d ever claw back Vera’s trust after her little outburst earlier today. She was starting to crack, and Vera could see it clearly. All because of one prisoner. 

“Do you fancy going out for a drink... tonight?” Ann asked in the doorway of Vera’s office. Vera shifted awkwardly, not knowing how to react; slightly worried that Ann might act out again. 

“Uhm... I have to get Grace home...” Ann’s face dropped, visibly disappointed. She wanted to try and patch things up with Vera. She wanted to have one of their drinking sessions to try and make herself feel better and to forget about the fuck up she made today. 

“I understand, of course.” Vera, still agitated by Ann’s outburst, turned her back. “Vera... Please don’t be disappointed in me.” Ann’s voice shook, tears welling in her eyes. Vera took a deep breath. 

“I won’t support any mistreatment of the women. It goes against everything I believe in.” Ann nodded, acknowledging how her fuck up affected Vera and how disappointed she was in herself. She was out of line. But she needed to make Vera understand the method behind her madness. “I don’t understand why you’re behaving like this?” Vera questioned. Ann’s breathing became shaky as she struggled to hold back the tears. 

“I know...” she whispered. Vera looked at her worriedly. She’d never seen her friend like this before. “I think I have to tell you something.” 

“Yep.” Vera agreed, still worried for Ann’s mental fragility. Ann turned slightly, grasping at her necklace with the initial ‘C’ on it. 

“My... Charlotte...” Ann smiled, her voice shaking as tears started flowing down her face, “was killed in a terrorist attack.” Vera’s heart sunk. How could she have not known about this? God, she felt awful for the way she had behaved to Ann in response. “I was there.” she said quietly. Those awful memories flooding back into her head. The very same memories that she tried so very hard to block out on a daily basis. “Less than a minute after the bomb went off.” she started sobbing. The tears were coming thick and fast now. “I saw- I saw the whole thing. The chaos. The bodies. And... her little body.” The image of Ann screaming as she held her daughter’s lifeless body filled Vera’s head and it broke her heart. She was speechless, and felt sick. “So I...” Ann pulled herself together, sniffling and wiping the tears and snot from her nose. “So I have some hang-ups about terrorists like Judy Bryant.” she was more angry than sad right now. You could tell that she wanted revenge. Vera could tell. And it frightened her slightly. Vera didn’t know what to say but she knew she needed to be there for her friend and colleague. 

“I... had no idea. Why didn’t you tell me?” Vera closed in on Ann, hoping it would comfort her knowing she was close. Ann started sobbing again. 

“Because I... I never wanted to talk about it. But I-I-I’m dealing with it. I’m dealing with it. At least I’m trying... so hard. But every time there’s another attack, I’m just right... I’m just right back there.” 

“Ann, I’m so sorry. I-I’m...” they both stared blankly, not knowing what to say to each other. With that, there was a knock on the door. Vera rolled her eyes. “Oh, not now.” 

“Is Ann in there with you? Minister’s on the phone.” Jake called through the office door. 

“I’ll be right there.” Ann replied, choking back her tears, trying not to make it sound as if she had just been breaking down. She put her hand up to her eye, holding it there, almost as if to try push her tears back in as her lips trembled. She took a wobbly breath, trying to compose herself. Vera didn’t know what to do other than look at her with concern. 

“So, now you know.” Ann said, holding her tears back once again. Vera pulled her closer, wrapping her arms around Ann and embracing her as she sobbed down her back. She placed a hand on Ann’s head to comfort her and as she pulled away, gave her a kiss on the cheek. 

“If there’s anything I can do...” 

“Just... having someone to talk to is really good.” 

“Well... what about if we go for that drink tonight, I guess I’d get Jake to babysit?” Ann’s eyes lit up slightly. 

“Yes! That would be lovely!” Ann eyed Vera up and down, thankful that she had her in this time of need. “Thank you, Vera...”. They stood looking at each other for a while, not knowing what to do. Vera wanted to go in for another hug, but didn’t know if it was too much. As Ann turned away, she reached out and squeezed Vera’s hand as if to say thank you again. She waited until Ann was out of the room before she let go of her own tears after the horrific news she had just heard. She didn’t want Ann to see how it had affected her, so tried her hardest to keep the tears at bay. Vera couldn’t begin to imagine what it would be like if she lost Grace. She’s already on edge just letting Grace’s father look after her. God knows what she’d do without that bundle of joy. One bite of the inner cheek and a few blinks and Vera had composed herself enough to get on with her job. 

Ann tried hard to get through the rest of the day without breaking down. The only thing getting her through was knowing she was going to be spending some one-on-one time with Vera that night. She needed some girl time. And LOTS of wine. 

Once her shift was up, Vera made her way to Ann’s office. She knocked the door and smiled to Ann. 

“Your chauffeur awaits.” she said, swinging her keys in her hand, trying to make Ann smile. It worked. Ann giggled quietly and motioned to Vera that she was still on the phone. Vera made an awkward face and mouthed “sorry” across the room. 

“Give me two minutes.” Ann mouthed back. Vera put her thumb up and immediately regretted how stupid it made her look. Ann held the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she started packing her bag up so she could escape quickly once free from the boring Minister on the other end of the phone. 

“Thank you, Minister. I’ll speak to you tomorrow. Have a good evening, goodbye.” Ann hung up the phone and smiled at Vera. “Shall we go get drunk?” she asked. Vera grinned. 

“Yes. Let’s go make you feel better.” Ann stood up, her heels making her look exceptionally tall next to the petite brunette. Vera placed her hand on Ann’s back, giving her a comforting pat as she lead her out to her car. They got in and Vera turned the radio on to make sure there was at least a little bit of sound in case the conversation turned awkward. She started the car and turned left out of the car park. 

“How was the rest of your day? I hardly saw you after our chat.” Vera asked, being careful not to set Ann off again. Ann gulped, and nodded. 

“Yeah... It’s been... difficult. But I’m just thankful that I’ve got you and we can have some fun tonight to take my mind off things.” she reached over and placed her hand on Vera’s thigh, stroking gently. This elicited a response from Vera that she was not expecting. It brought forward the feelings that Vera had spent years since they first met at college repressing. She glanced at Ann in the passenger seat then returned her gaze to the road ahead before her thoughts started driving her crazy. Ann moved her hand from Vera’s thigh but the feeling was lingering. Ann started humming along to the radio, tapping her fingers on the dashboard to the tune of the song. 

It wasn’t long before they arrived at Vera’s home. She pulled into the drive and gave her house keys to Ann before telling her to head on in whilst she sorted the car out. Ann smiled, taking the keys from Vera’s hand and heading inside. She’d never been to her house before but it looked lovely. When Vera returned from the car a few moments later, she had noticed that Ann had wasted no time in finding the wine and the glasses. She stood waiting for her with the glass full to the brim. 

“Not a glass half empty gal, no?” Vera laughed at her own joke. Ann smiled before chugging half her glass. 

“What about now?” she laughed as Vera gasped and her eyes widened. 

“Ann Reynolds! Now THAT takes me back to our college days!” Vera had a flashback to young Vera and Ann chugging their cheap bottles of wine before nights out to make sure they didn’t spend too much money. You know. Students with their empty wallets and all that. 

“I bet I can still drink you under the table!” Ann joked. Vera blushed and looked down to try and hide her face. 

“Well, just because you said that...” Vera proceeded to chug her entire glass of wine, causing Ann’s jaw to drop to the floor. Vera gagged slightly as she swallowed the last drop, and winced at the bitter taste, but was proud of herself nonetheless. 

“I can’t believe you just did that. You always were a bit of a dark horse back then.” Ann smiled, wiping the remaining drops of wine off Vera’s chin. They refilled their glasses and headed to the sofa. The bottle came with them, of course. Vera sat down gently, curling her legs under herself. Ann opted for kicking her shoes off and putting her feet up on the table, but not before asking Vera if that was okay. 

The pair proceeded to drink through the night. They managed to work their way through four bottles. They spent the night talking about life since college. Talking about Ann moving to London. Vera apologising for not making more of an effort to keep in touch once Ann moved away. They talked relationships. Ann was proud to admit that she even had a girlfriend in London. They both liked women, and they both knew it. Hell, they even experimented with each other at college because they were the only people they told. However, it never went anywhere due to their busy college/work schedules and Ann being a bit of a, for want of a better word, slut. Ann was keen to know what happened with Vera and Jake. Vera told her everything - the gory details and all. She gushed about Grace. Her pride and joy. Then remembered Charlotte and instantly apologised. Ann smiled, and nodded, placing her glass down. Vera stroked her arm from across the table, comforting her. Ann threw her head back and sighed deeply, tears forming in her eyes. 

“Life can be so fucking cruel, Vera.” Vera put her glass down on the table and scooted over to the space next to Ann, whose tears had already started falling by this point. She sniffled and gulped, trying to hold them back, but it didn’t work. 

“She would be so proud of you, Ann. You’re doing so well. I’m proud of you.” Ann looked at Vera, her lip trembling. 

“You really think so?” Vera wiped the tears from Ann’s cheeks and nodded. “Fuck. I miss her so much. It hurts so bad. I just wish I could see her little face once more.” Ann erupted into sobs and covered her face with her hands. She shook her head. “I wish it was me. Every single day. I wish it was me that was in there. Not her. She had so much life ahead of her. She was only young.” Vera pulled her into her chest, cradling her like a baby. She stroked her hair as she sobbed. Vera had never seen such a proud woman look so small. She rested her chin on Ann’s head, rubbing Ann’s arms up and down. Ann shook as she sobbed. All of those horrible thoughts coming back like someone had just opened the floodgate to her memories. 

“Shhh. It’s okay, it’s okay.” Vera said softly as she placed a kiss on the top of Ann’s head. Ann wrapped her arms around Vera, pulling her even closer. Vera started rubbing Ann’s back, scratching gently. “She loves you so much, and she wouldn’t be wanting you to think like this. You, too, have so much to live for. And I, for one, know that nothing will ever get in your way. You are a strong woman, Ann. I admire and look up to you... Quite literally.”. The shorter brunette of the two quipped, trying to lighten the situation a little, despite it probably not being the best time for jokes, but they were drunk, and she couldn’t bear to see Ann like this. Ann laughed, bringing a small smile to her face. They shared some small talk to calm Ann down and Vera made jokes to pick the mood up. It was good to hear Ann laugh and see her smile after the state she had gotten herself into. It wasn’t nice to see nor hear. 

“I don’t know what I would have done without you tonight, Vera.” Ann looked up at Vera, their eyes locking. 

Vera leant forward slowly, pausing to judge the situation before leaning further in and kissing Ann on the lips, pushing Ann’s loose hair behind her ears whilst doing so. Ann smiled in response and nestled her head into Vera’s neck. 

“Do you think I can stay here tonight?” Ann asked, not wanting to be alone with her thoughts. Vera smiled and nodded, stroking her cheek gently. “Do you think I could maybe... come sleep with you? In your bed?” she looked up at her with puppy dog eyes. 

“Of course. Anything you want.” Vera replied softly. Ann smiled and placed her hand on Vera’s cheek. 

“Thank you. I don’t know how I could ever repay you for how you’ve been with me tonight.” 

“How about another date?” Vera asked shyly, increasing her bravery. 

“Ooh, I didn’t realise this was a date, Ms Bennett?” she smirked, teasing Vera. “I see what you’re doing here. You’re getting me drunk in my vulnerable state then taking advantage of me by kissing me. I see you repeating our college evenings.” Vera’s face dropped as she started panicking. 

“No! That’s not what I was trying to do! I-I... It felt like the right thing to do at that moment in time... I’m so sorry for my unprofessionalism, it’ll never happen again. I am so deeply apologetic for reading this situation wrong.” Ann laughed. 

“I was just messing around, Vera.” she smiled, watching the red flush into Vera’s cheeks. “I promise I enjoyed, and wanted, that just as much as you did. If not more. It was definitely the right thing to do at that moment in time.” Ann used her two fingers to push Vera’s lowered head back up. “And I’d like to try it again, if that’s okay with you?”. Vera nodded shyly, biting her lip. 

Ann leant in, placing her lips on Vera’s carefully. She kissed her with enough passion to make Vera moan quietly. Ann pulled away and nuzzled her nose against Vera’s. 

“I think we should take this up to the bedroom.”


	2. Chapter 2

Ann took Vera by the hand, leading her upstairs, despite never being in Vera’s house before. She went to open what she assumed would be the bedroom and Vera let out a giggle.

“Uhm... that’s the laundry cupboard.” she smiled. 

“Okay, I guess this is what I get for being too confident. Maybe point in the right direction?” Ann replied, deciding against picking another door to open just in case it was the wrong room again. Vera pointed towards the furthest room and Ann nodded, pulling the shorter brunette towards the white door. Once inside, Vera bit her lip and started unbuttoning her shirt. Ann laughed, and placed her hand against Vera’s chest to stop her. 

“Someone’s desperate.” Ann smirked. 

“I just thought-“ Vera’s eyes widened and her eyebrows raised, showing her confusion. 

“I don’t think today is the best day to do...” Ann ran her finger down the exposed part of Vera’s body, “that type of thing... No matter how much I want to.” Ann eyed Vera up and down and Vera blushed from embarrassment. 

“I’m sorry, I rushed into things.” Ann rucked Vera’s hair behind her ears. 

“No, not at all! I want this. I do. But maybe tonight we can just... cuddle and kiss? Maybe a little bit of touching, if you’re good.” Ann winked, pulling Vera closer. 

“That sounds really good.” she smiled, this time being the one to take Ann’s hand, leading her over to the bed. They both laid down, holding hands, facing each other. Vera started stroking Ann’s thumb gently whilst staring into her eyes. 

“Thank you for tonight, Vera. I’m really grateful.” Ann averted her eyes, slightly embarrassed that her hard-faced bitch demeanour had cracked in front of Vera. Vera knew what Ann was like from college, but even then, Ann never really liked showing emotion. She was always the tough cookie. The shoulder to cry on. The confident one who’d tell it how it is. Ann was disappointed in herself for letting her defences fall so easily, but she trusted Vera, and she had hoped that after getting the job at Wentworth that they would rekindle their friendship from college. Though lots of things had happened between the time they had lost contact, they fell back into place like missing jigsaw pieces. 

“You never need to thank me. That’s what friends are for.” 

“Friends? I wouldn’t call what happened downstairs ‘friends’.” Ann ran her fingers down Vera’s arm, causing Vera to shiver. 

“What do you think we should call it?” Vera questioned. Sometimes she wished she had the power of reading minds. Especially the mind of Ann Reynolds. 

“Something that could blossom into something sweet.” Ann didn’t want to be too direct, but wanted to make sure Vera knew her intentions. 

Ann always wished she gave Vera more time during college, she very much enjoyed fooling around with her back in her young adult years. The inability to hold a relationship down for longer than a few weeks was the main problem, and she never wanted to lose Vera or hurt her the way she hurt others, hence pushing her away when things got too... involved with feelings. Vera was the first female Ann slept with, and Ann knew she took Vera’s virginity. Maybe that was why Vera had never fully gotten over her. But it was different now. They had grown up. Ann had grown up, more specifically. She grew out of the sleeping around phase. She eventually settled down, had Charlotte. Then her husband chose to leave them for some other woman, so they moved to London for a better life. Ann met a wonderful woman and spent the better part of a year with her, before tragedy struck. It broke her relationship apart, and Ann moved back to Australia shortly after, not being able to cope with the trauma. She stayed single once home, but it had been a little while now, and she was ready to feel something again. She didn’t fully expect the person she wanted to have that with to be Vera Bennett, but she was happy nonetheless. The second she saw Vera for the first time since they lost contact, every single feeling she ever had for her flooded back, and they only intensified every time she saw her. Vera had gotten hot. INSANELY hot, Ann remembered thinking the first time she saw her again. She would subtly check her out in the prison corridors any chance she would get. Ann kept asking Vera out on coffee dates and clubbing dates to see if Vera could catch a hint, and it appears that she did, fortunately. 

“Do you really think we could work out this time round?” Vera prodded Ann for answers. Answers she never got the first time round. 

“Who’s to say we won’t? I think it’s safe to say I’ve grown up a bit. I’m not the same old slapper you used to know.” Vera smiled and raised one eyebrow but before she went to speak, Ann butted in. “Yes, okay, we will ignore that... thing... from the other week. A girl has needs, okay? And I sure as hell wasn’t getting them anywhere else!”. 

“And now you have me.” Vera saying she was here to fulfil Ann’s needs made Ann squeeze her thighs together, trying to resist any sexual feeling coming through during their meaningful conversation. “But we can’t tell anyone just yet, okay? I’m still having trouble with Jake and I don’t want work to think you’re favouring me if anything happens.” Ann nodded. 

“I can be professional, Officer Bennett. You don’t need to tell me twice.” Ann smirked. She knew Vera had always had a thing for people in authority. This may work to her advantage. 

“Stop trying to turn me on even more, I’m being serious!” Vera playfully slapped Ann’s arm and shuffled closer to her, sandwiching one of Ann’s legs between her thighs to give her a fraction of friction to tide her over. Ann kissed her passionately whilst running her hands through Vera’s hair, tugging gently. She bit Vera’s lip, eliciting a moan. She pulled away abruptly. 

“As you were saying, Officer Bennett.” she winked and watched Vera sigh in frustration. 

“I was just saying. Maybe this should stay between us for now. Just until we know where we stand. The last thing I want is for things to become worse between Jake and I. I can’t do that. Not to Gracie.” 

“I totally understand, and 100% agree with you. Just us two. I promise.” Ann held out her pinky finger. 

“A pinky promise? Wow, we really have gone back to college, haven’t we?” Vera interlocked her pinky with Ann, remembering their little thing they used to do. Ann pulled their hands closer to her, kissing the part of her curled hand closest to her, before Vera followed suit, symbolising them keeping their promise. 

“I’m sorry we never got any further than we did back then. But, like I said to you, I’ve grown up now, as you can tell. And I respected you far too much back then to just... fuck you and chuck you like I did the others. I never wanted to hurt you.” 

“I understand, and it’s okay. You’re here now, and I can see that you want to try again. I’ve always kind of held out for you, hoping you’d return someday. I guess you coming back is the universes way of telling me to be happy after a stressful couple years.” Vera smiled and looked at Ann’s lips before placing a gentle kiss on them. 

“God, we did have fun back then, didn’t we?” they laughed, reminiscing on everything they did. 

“Maybe it’s time to recreate some of those memories and make them 10 times better.” Vera grabber Ann’s hans and squeezed it before nuzzling closer into her body. “You better not be gone when I wake up.” 

“Babe, do you really think my alcohol percentage will be low enough to drive? I’m staying. Don’t worry.” Ann chuckled and watched Vera get comfortable in her arms. 

They had missed this feeling. Getting drunk, having heart to hearts, fooling around then falling asleep in their clothes, wrapped in each other’s arms. It was a daily occurrence back then, and Ann was keen to bring that back. 

“Goodnight.” Ann whispered as she kissed Vera on the top of her head. 

Who knew what the next day was going to bring.


	3. Chapter 3

When Vera woke in the morning, she noticed that Ann was gone. She rolled onto her back and kicked herself for believing someone like Ann would stay the night with her, or be true to her word. Maybe she hadn’t changed at all. Maybe Vera was just another person for Ann to drop when too many feelings got involved. Vera wasn’t going to pretend that this exact situation hadn’t happened to her beforehand, but she was disappointed that she let herself get into it once again. She sighed, allowed herself to be sad for a few minutes before getting out of bed, wrapping herself in a dressing gown and heading downstairs. 

Once she hit the bottom step, she noticed smoke coming from the kitchen. 

FUCK! Did I drunkenly turn the oven on overnight!? she thought to herself as she rushed into the kitchen. 

In there, she found a scantily clad Ann waving oven mitts in front of the fire alarm as it beeped obnoxiously. Ann covered her mouth as she coughed through the black smoke. Vera smiled, shocked by the sight in front of her. She didn’t even care about the possibility that her kitchen was in flames because Ann had stayed. Ann had kept her promise. 

“Need some help?” Vera said, causing Ann to jump due to the fact she hadn’t noticed her standing there. 

“Jesus fuck, Vera. Do you make it your missing to sneak around like a mouse and scare people?” 

“Good morning to you, too.” Vera laughed, heading over to Ann. She placed a kiss on her cheek. “Also, nice shirt.” Vera smirked and Ann bit her lip, tugging at the bottom of the shirt. 

“I had spilled wine all down my dress so, I had to borrow one of yours whilst I washed it quickly before work. However, it was a bit too small so... Uhm...” Ann pointed to the fact that the blouse wasn’t buttoned up, her breasts sitting perfectly in her bra but in full view. 

“Looks good.” Vera replied, licking her lips. “I thought you had gone when I woke up...” she lowered her voice, disappointed in herself for not believing in Ann. 

“Not at all. I wanted to try make you breakfast but. Well. The rest is history.” Ann pushed the oven door shut and continued waving the oven mitts round the kitchen until the beeping stopped. She placed the mitts on the side and leant against one of the kitchen stools. “How about this. You drive us to work and I buy us takeout on the way. Hmm?” Ann stroked Vera’s cheek. 

“That sounds really good.” she replied, stepping closer to the taller woman. Ann took Vera under her arms, kissing the top of her head. 

“I can’t believe you thought I’d gone. I promised you.” Vera looked up with puppy dog eyes. 

“I just... you know. I still worry that I’m not good enough for you.” Vera looked back down, ashamed of herself. 

“Hey, hey. No! The reason was never because you weren’t good enough. It was because you were way too good for me. You were so much more than enough. And I promise I am going to spend every day making that up to you, and making sure you know just how loved and important and good enough you are, just as long as that’s what you want me to do.” 

“Of course it is.” Vera replied, standing on her tiptoes to kiss Ann on the lips. 

“Anyways! If we want to grab breakfast on the way, we better be getting ready now.” Ann clapped her hands together and moved towards the tumble drier to grab her freshly washed dress before heading to the stairs. “You coming?” she smiled to Vera. 

“Yes, I’ll be right up. I’m just going to check that everything in the kitchen is okay. Should you have tumble dried that dress?” 

“You’re such a worrier, Vera. Everything is fine!” Ann sprung up the stairs, leaving Vera checking and double checking that everything was off in the kitchen before heading up herself. When she reached the bedroom, Ann was bent over, pulling her dress over her pert cheeks. Vera saw that Ann was wearing lacy underwear when she first spotted her in her blouse this morning, but the back of the underwear was completely see-through. “Ooh, Vera. Now you’re here. Fancy giving me a hand with the zip?” Ann pulled the dress up and over her chest, trying to tug at the zip to indicate that she had difficulty doing it herself. 

“Oh! Mhmm!” Vera shook herself out of her stare and walked towards Ann. She zipped the dress slowly, taking in every inch of Ann’s body as she did so. Ann ran her hands down her sides and over her hips to smooth the dress out and checked herself out in the mirror. Vera felt herself getting hotter as she imagined her and Ann together again. Ann always had an amazing body, but now? There was something incredibly hot about her middle aged physique. Vera didn’t know how to contain herself as she continued daydreaming about all the things they could do. Ann clicked her fingers in front of Vera’s face. 

“Having a nice dream there, sweetie? Chop chop, we need to get a move on!” Ann walked out of the bedroom, putting her earrings back in. Vera got dressed quicker than the time it would take to tell someone they were being slotted, and headed downstairs to find Ann waiting patiently at the door with her heels on and her bag in her hand. 

“You don’t hang around, do you?” Vera asked whilst putting her shoes on. 

“You know how I feel about lateness, Vera. I refuse to make a bad example of myself, and you, of course. Plus, I am starving.” she eyed Vera up and down, indicating she was hungry for more than a cheap breakfast from the nearest takeaway place they could find. 

“Yes, yes. Someone’s got her General Manager head on already.” Ann rolled her eyes and Vera smiled. They stepped outside and into Vera’s car before setting off. 

“How are we going to do this?” Ann asked. 

“Do what?” Vera questioned in response. 

“Us arriving to work together.” 

“We’ll just tell the truth if anyone asks. It’s not like we were out all night having sex! They know we got drunk last night. You simply crashed at mine. On the sofa, of course.” 

“On the sofa. Got it. Do we tell them that’s where we made out, too, or?” Vera’s eyes widened and she began panicking. “I’m just joking! I’m messing around! We promised to keep this between us.” Vera playfully slapped Ann’s arm whilst keeping her eyes on the road ahead. 

“Is here okay for breakfast?” Vera asked, nodding towards the next turning. 

“I’m sure it will be.” Ann responded, getting her purse out ready to pay. 

“You don’t need to do that. I have enough money to grab us breakfast, Ann.” 

“Oh, shut up. Let me buy breakfast. It’s the least I can do after you let me stay the night after my... you know.” Ann grew stiff when thinking about yesterday. She wanted to try forget about what they were discussing. Vera reached her hand over and stroked Ann’s thigh, letting her know it was okay. 

Vera pulled into the turning and through the breakfast drive-through. They ordered their breakfasts, collected them, then set off again. Once they arrived at the prison car park, they realised they had plenty of time to go in and eat their breakfast in the staff room. They quickly checked that Ann’s car was okay, seeing as she left it there all night, before heading in. Once inside, they sat down and laid their breakfast out in front of them. Ann pulled her huge travel mug out of her tiny bag and Vera laughed. 

“Jesus Christ, Ann. Should I start calling you Mary Poppins?” Ann rolled her eyes and started pouring the coffee from the takeaway cup into the travel mug. 

“I’m sorry, Vera. I refuse to drink out of the plastic lids! Anything could’ve touched them. I feel much safer using my own. You should invest in one!” Ann raised her eyebrows and took a sip of her coffee before making a screwed up face. 

“Let me guess. Not hot enough for your ‘extra hot’ order?” 

“Well, we were in the car for a little so, I should’ve expected this. Would you like a plate?” Ann asked, reaching into the cupboard. Vera nodded. Ann sat back down with two plates in front of them and the pair proceeded to eat their breakfast. After they had finished, Vera stood up and took their plates over to the sink and washed them up before leaving them on the draining board to dry. “Here, I’ll walk you to your office.” Ann said, smiling. They picked up their bags and left the staff room, heading towards Vera’s office. 

“Thank you, General Manager, for this morning.” Vera winked as she stood facing Ann in the door to her office. 

“Vera, you don’t need to call me General Manager when it’s just us two around.” Ann tucked a piece of Vera’s loose pony back into place then returned her focus to Vera’s eyes. 

“I know. But it’s kinda hot, isn’t it.” she bit her lip. Ann leant forward and whispered into Vera’s ear. 

“It’s very hot. See you later.” Ann set off towards her office. 

Luckily enough, Ann had disappeared before Jake turned up with Grace in her pushchair. Vera’s face lit up when she saw her little princess. 

“Hi, Gracie! Have you been a good girl for daddy!” she grinned and put her hands into the pushchair to tickle her tummy before lifting her out and giving her a cuddle. 

“She was great! Slept through the whole night.” Jake smiled. “Thank you for letting me have her. I know you don’t trust me, but I really do appreciate it. I really do want to be in her, and your, life.” Vera smiled shyly. 

“Yeah, it’s no problem. I’m glad she was good for you.” Vera rocked Grace back and forth. 

“How was your night with Ann?” Vera bit her lip to try stop herself from smiling too much. 

“It was really good. She wasn’t in the right state of mind and really needed a friend so, thank you for having Grace last minute.” 

“Of course. You can always count on me.” Jake smiled, stroking Grace’s back. “I suppose we should get to work.” Jake said as he stepped back, ready to walk away. 

“Thank you, once again, Jake.” Vera said as he gave her a thumbs up and disappeared down the corridor. Vera placed Grace back into her pushchair and wheeled her round to the other side of her desk before sitting at her computer. There was a knock at the door and Vera looked up to find Ann. 

“When did Grace get here?” Ann smiled towards the pushchair, walking up and giving Grace a little tickle on her tummy. “Hi, lovely!” she whispered. 

“Jake just dropped her off!” Vera replied, her heart swelling at the sight of Ann with Grace. “What’s up, anyways?” Vera asked, not knowing why Ann had returned to her office. 

“I’m here because I forgot to give you something.” Vera’s brows frowned, confused as to what Ann could mean. Ann walked up closer to the desk, and looked around briefly to make sure they were alone before placing her hands either side of Vera’s face planting a passionate kiss on her lips. “That’s all.” Ann said as she walked out of her office, her ass swaying as she did so. Vera blushed and touched her lips. She felt sneaky doing this at work. But she liked it, and she didn’t want it to stop.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

A few weeks had passed and things were sweet between Vera and Ann. They were having regular dates at either cafes or clubs, or even the occasional movie date where they’d go round to one of their houses, curl up on the sofa under a blanket and eat snacks whilst watching some, usually, cheesy movie. Ann once made Vera watch a horror movie and she hid behind a pillow the whole time whilst Ann ate the popcorn. They’ve even been going on baby dates. Taking Grace to the park together, Ann going round and looking after her whilst giving Vera some much-needed time to herself. Ann felt like looking after and bonding with Grace was doing her a world of good in terms of her trauma regarding Charlotte. Having someone small to look after again was filling that hole in her heart. Vera could see it, too.

They hadn’t gotten any further than heavy petting and steamy make-out sessions, but they didn’t want it any other way. They wanted to take their time, this time around. Plus, there was nothing sexier than having to refrain from those thoughts and feelings. It would only mean their first time back together intimately would be even more perfect. 

No one else knew of their budding relationship. They tried their hardest to keep it quiet, and it was working well. It was exciting sneaking around the prison, finding cubby holes to steal a kiss or a quick slap of the ass. Vera found it sexy when Ann would shout at them when something went wrong and she got all flustered. She knew of Will and Jake’s dislike of her, but that didn’t matter. However, she needed to take note that her constant defending of Ann would soon enough make things obvious. 

Today was a stressful day at work. They were getting a big influx of prisoners today, and after Ann had shut the protection unit, it was proving difficult trying to find somewhere to fit everyone. Vera finally reached time for her break, so she picked Grace up from the crèche and headed to her office. She slumped down in her chair and sighed. 

“Oh, Grace. Today is going to be a long day.” she looked down to Grace, asleep in her pushchair. Just as she was about to pull out her lunch, the office phone started ringing. “For fucks sake, can I get ONE minute?” Vera said under her breath before picking the phone up. “Vera Bennett, Industries Manager at Wentworth speaking. How can I help?” 

“What are you wearing right now?” the husky voice said the other end of the phone. Vera smiled. 

“Ann, you know I’m in my uniform.” 

“This is Linda.” Vera paused for a moment, panicking, not knowing how to respond as she had just accidentally came out and revealed her relationship with Ann to another colleague. She was just about to respond as she heard giggling in the background. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I had to.” Ann said, laughing. 

“I hate you so much some times.” Vera shook her head and laughed. 

“Now don’t lie, Vera.” Vera rolled her eyes. “Anyways, what are you doing for lunch?”

“Well, I’m currently about to have my packed lunch before pumping my breast milk.” Vera told Ann truthfully. 

“Need a hand?” Ann said jokingly. 

“Oh, be quiet.” 

“Don’t eat just yet. I’ll come down so we can eat together.”

“Okay, hurry. I’m hungry and I don’t have long; it’s been a stressful day and it’s only going to get worse.” 

“Oh, babe. We can talk all about it. I’ll be there in 5.” Ann hung up the phone and made her way down to Vera’s office. She knocked on the door and headed in. “Hi, lovely. Bad day?” she made her way over to Vera’s desk and kissed her on the cheek before sitting on her desk. She peered over the pushchair and smiled at the sight of Grace. 

“It’s all these new prisoners, Ann. Where are we going to put them? With no protection unit...” she put her face in her hands. Ann rubbed Vera’s arms, comforting her. 

“We’ll find a way! I promise. You know me. Efficient. I will sit with you and make a plan, okay? We can have lunch quickly then head to my office after and draw up a plan for you guys to follow. Sound good?” Vera nodded. 

“Yes. Sounds good. Thank you.” Ann smiled, knowing closing the protection unit wasn’t her best decision ever made but it was needed. If she hadn’t found a way to cut costs, she would’ve been sacked. Simple as that. 

Ann made her way round to the other side of the desk and sat on the chair before pulling her lunch out. The pair shared small talk about work whilst eating. 

“How has Grace been?” Ann asked with food still in her mouth. 

“She’s been really good. I can’t get over how quickly she’s growing.” Vera pouted slightly. 

They finished their lunches and Ann stood up to leave. “Right. I’ll leave you to sort yourself out.” She moved back round the the other side of the desk and Vera stood up. They both looked towards the door before latching their lips on each other. Their arms found the others side, moving their hands up and down, gripping and tugging at their shirts. Ann moved her hand up to Vera’s head, pulling her in even closer, tugging at her pony slightly. They moaned into each other’s mouths. 

“Why don’t you come round tonight? Jake has Grace.” Vera said as she pulled away. “I think I’m ready for us to take the next step. I can’t hold on for much longer.” she whispered seductively, leaning in to plant another passionate kiss on Ann, moving her hands up her body, onto her breasts. Ann pushed her hands back down and pulled away, smirking at Vera. 

“Tonight sounds good, lovely. Meet you at yours at 8pm. I’ll bring the wine. And the lingerie.” she winked and left Vera in the office alone, feeling all flustered. It brought Ann great pleasure knowing how much she could turn Vera on, and Vera knew that as well. It frustrated her knowing how smug Ann was about it, but she was terrible at hiding how she feels. 

Vera had just finished pumping her breast milk in the safety of her locked office whilst Grace was asleep, when her phone vibrated on her desk from a text message. 

“Just a teaser for tonight.” the text from Ann read. Attached was a picture of Ann from the waist up in a black laced push-up bra. The heat between Vera’s legs was growing with each second she admired the picture. 

Vera glanced at the clock and realised she still had 15 minutes left of her break. She grabbed Grace and made her way down to the crèche to drop her off before heading to the staff toilets. She walked into a cubicle and locked herself inside. 

She pushed herself against the side of the cubicle and slid her hand down her trousers, above the fabric of her underwear. Vera closed her eyes, pushing her head back against the wall, picturing Ann in her bra. She started rubbing in circles, finding the right amount of pressure to give her the most pleasure. Vera felt dirty doing this at work, but she felt like she was going to explode if she didn’t do something about the feeling mounting inside of her. She bit her lip, stopping herself from moaning too loud as she started rubbing faster, placing her hand on the other side of the cubicle to give her more stability. 

“Fuck.” she whispered as she grew increasingly closer to ecstasy. Her legs started trembling as she got closer and closer. 

“Vera? Are you in here?” Jake called from the locker room. Vera pulled her hand out of her pocket in a flash and cursed under her breath. 

“Uh... oh, yeah. I’m here.” she was incredibly frustrated, sexually especially. Knowing how close she was to getting that relief, but Jake had, once again, ruined the moment. She flushed the toilet to make it seem like she had used it, and made her way out to wash her hands. 

“I was wondering if I could have Gracie tomorrow night, too, and you then have her on an extra day to make up for it? I’ve got an old school friend visiting and we’re planning on going out.” 

“Oh, of course. That’s no worry at all! Thank you for letting me know and for asking.” Vera replied.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to cause any trouble to you.” 

“No, no. It’s no trouble! I promise. It’ll be nice to have a couple days off.” she smiled. 

“Thank you so much, Vera. Anything good planned for tonight?” Jake asked, walking Vera out into the corridor. 

“Not really. Ann is coming around for a few drinks but that’s it.” she tried playing coy. 

“You guys spend a lot of time together, how are you not sick of her yet?” Jake laughed. Vera felt offended, scrunching her face up. 

“Why would I be sick of her?” she asked defensively. 

“I’m just joking, Vera. I know you guys have been friends since college. But she can be a little... harsh.” 

“She’s a perfectionist. She’s only trying to do her best for Wentworth, whether we all agree with her methods or not. Anyways, I need to get to her office because we are going to set out a plan for the prisoners arriving today. Please don’t leave before I get to say goodbye to Grace.” Vera sped off down the corridor towards Ann’s office, pissed at the way Jake had 1) ruined her... private time and 2) been so rude about Ann. She barged into Ann’s office and shut the door behind her, her face showing how angry she was. 

“Woah, hold your horses, cowboy. I’m on the phone.” Ann whispered as she placed the phone between her shoulder and head as she tried rearranging her desk. Vera huffed and threw herself into a chair. “Sorry, Minister. An officer has just come into my office. We need to go over a plan for the new prisoners. Can we finish this later?” Ann looked at Vera with concern. What had gotten her so angry? Before Ann could even open her mouth to speak to the Minister again, he had already hung up. “For fucks sake! What’s his fucking problem?” she slammed the phone onto the receiver. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“He’s always fucking hanging up. It’s infuriating. Anyways, what’s wrong with you, little miss stroppy?” Ann relaxed back into her chair. 

“Jake being a prick, as per usual.” 

“Oh, babe. Just ignore him. Men are useless.” she leant forward and brought out her pad of paper so they could start drawing ideas up for the placement of prisoners. “So. Let’s draw up a plan.”

The pair spent the next hour or so putting together a plan for the officers to follow in order to make sure the prisoners were where they’re supposed to be. 

“How about we bunk off early? Get tonight going a bit sooner than planned?” Ann asked whilst packing her folders up and neatly arranging the new plan. 

“Please.” Vera begged, desperate to get home so Ann could make her feel good. 

“We’re only 20 minutes early. I’ll tell the others you came down ill and I’m driving you home. Head off now and I’ll meet you at the car.” Ann threw Vera her car keys and Vera hurried down the corridor to her office to grab her stuff. She then popped her head into the nursery to say goodbye to Grace for the night, then carried on to the car park. She unlocked Ann’s vehicle and sat in the passenger seat waiting for her. 

“Sorry, lovely. I got caught up. You okay?” Vera passed the keys to Ann and she started the car, setting off towards Vera’s home. 

“Mhmm.” Vera nodded. Ann frowned, reaching over to grip Vera’s thigh. Her breathing deepened. 

“You sure?” 

“I just... really need you.” her voice was low, sultry. Ann smirked, moving her hand away. Vera whined under her breath. 

“Patience is a virtue, Ms Bennett.” Vera bit her lip. She knew she wouldn’t last long the second Ann got her into bed, if they even made it to the bed. They soon pulled into Vera’s driveway and she was quick to get her belt off and get out of the car. Ann followed shortly, laughing. “Are you forgetting something?” she said, swinging Vera’s house keys. “You left them on my desk earlier.” she walked up to Vera’s front door and unlocked it, walking inside. The shorter brunette followed closely behind and before she could properly shut the door, Ann had her pinned to it. “Is this what you’ve been fidgeting for all day?” Ann said as she kissed down Vera’s neck, sucking and biting. Vera moaned, pulling Ann in even closer. 

“Yes.” she breathed out. She tugged Ann’s blouse out of her skirt and pulled it over her head, revealing the very same bra from the picture she was sent earlier. Vera wasted no time in putting her hands on Ann’s chest, squeezing, eliciting moans from the taller blonde. Ann pulled her over to the sofa, pushing Vera down. Vera got to work on her own shirt buttons as Ann pulled Vera’s shoes and trousers off, before doing the same to herself. Ann climbed on top of the brunette and kissed her collarbones before sitting up, straddling her and admiring every inch of her body. 

“You’re so fucking beautiful.” she said. Just like Vera thought of Ann, Ann thought Vera had only gotten better with age. Her baby body and mummy tummy made her love her even more. Ann reached round to undo Vera’s bra and Vera winced. 

“Sorry, this is so uncomfortable. Can we take this upstairs?” she said between kisses on Ann’s neck. She didn’t need to ask her twice as Ann pulled her up and led her to the bedroom. This time, Vera climbed on top of Ann. Ann placed her hands on Vera’s breasts. “Remember, no squeezing too hard. These are reserved for Grace.” she laughed. 

“I’m sorry, they just look so good.” she licked her lips and squeezed them gently, knowing how sensitive they can be after birth. Vera moaned and started grinding on Ann. 

“Fuck.” Vera breathed out, the friction from Ann’s thigh already building the butterflies in her stomach. She leant forward and whispered into Ann’s ear, “I want us to come together for our first time back.” She sucked and nibbled on Ann’s earlobe before climbing off and laying next to her. The both inserted a hand into the others underwear, finding their most sensitive point. They both started rubbing in circles, their bodies rising and falling as they were grinding the thin air, their bodies begging for more. 

“Vera, fuck.” Ann breathed out, her back arching. Ann always used to call Vera magic fingers. She needn’t explain why. Vera slipped two fingers into Ann’s entrance with ease, pulling them in and out in a steady rhythm. Ann joined her in doing so, making Vera feel better than she’s ever felt, even than their college days. Maybe it was something to do with post-baby hormones. They moaned in harmony, getting closer and closer to ecstasy. They both picked up the speed, their moans spurring each other on. Vera moved her fingers back to Ann’s clit, rubbing furiously. Ann arched her back, moving her fingers in and out of Vera quicker than ever. 

“I’m gonna come, Ann. Fuck. Shit.” Vera edged closer and closer to climax. Ann rolled over slightly, whispering into Vera’s ear. 

“Come for me, baby. I’m right there with you.” With those words, they both let go, riding the wave of pleasure. Neither of them stopped their fingers, pleasure coming wave after wave after wave. Their moans were feral from wanting this for longer than they could remember. Neither of them had ever felt this good. 

Once they stopped shaking, Ann encased Vera in her arms, kissing her forehead. She traced lines on her back. 

“I’ve missed this.” Ann said. “I’m so glad you let me back in.” Vera smiled, kissing Ann on the lips. 

“Me too. I’m glad you came back.” she replied. They cuddled for a few minutes before Vera rolled onto her back and breathed out. “That was well worth the wait.”


	5. Chapter 5

Weeks quickly turned to months for Vera and Ann. Their relationship blossoming more and more with each second they spent together. They knew they were official by this point. However, they didn’t give it a label, as such. Mainly because they thought they were far too old to be called ‘girlfriends’. Their relationship still remained a secret between them both, but they weren’t afraid to tell people they were in a relationship with someone. They simply avoided telling anyone who said partner was. 

Ann and Vera had a day off work together without them having to book it off, for once. They decided that they would make the day about Grace. 

Ann had stayed over the night before so that she could spend more time with her two favourite girls. Ann’s house was becoming less and less used with each passing day, but she loved spending time with Vera, and she was going to spend as much time with her as possible. 

Ann woke up earlier than Vera. Not wanting to wake her due to her being up and down all night because Grace was having a restless night, she went downstairs and started to prepare the packed lunches for their day at the aquarium. Vera wasn’t too keen on taking Grace somewhere with lots of water, but Ann convinced her that seeing the movements of the fish and different colours would help Grace’s development. Ann always had a way of persuading Vera into things. Never anything bad, but she always got her own way. Ann heard movement on the baby monitor so she finished what she was doing and headed upstairs to check on Grace. She was gurgling and rolling around in her cot so Ann picked her up and rocked her. 

“Morning, Gracie. Mummy is still sleeping so I’m going to change you and get you breakfast. Okay?” she spoke in her high pitched voice reserved for Grace and Grace only, as she tickled her tummy and watched her giggle. She took Grace to the baby changing station and got her changed and washed before putting her in a delicate dress and little booties. She carried her downstairs on her hip and placed her in the high chair before heating up the refrigerated breast milk and feeding it to Grace. 

Vera woke not too long after and made her way downstairs when she realised Ann and Grace weren’t upstairs. She walked into the kitchen to see a bed-headed Ann feeding an excitable Grace. 

“Morning, lovely.” Ann spoke as she wiped a drip of milk off Grace’s chin. Vera smiled, making her way over to the pair. She placed a delicate kiss on Grace’s forehead, then kissed Ann on the cheek. 

“Why didn’t you wake me?” Vera asked, fetching two mugs out of the cupboard to make them coffee. 

“You had a rough night because this little cutie was being a little S-H-I-T.” Ann opened her mouth and smiled at Grace as she finished the milk off. Vera laughed, pouring the hot water into the mugs. 

“I’m used to it by now.” 

“You needed to sleep, Vera. And I wanted some one-on-one time with my best girl.” Ann lifted Grace out of the chair to start burping her. She paced the kitchen with Grace on her shoulder, tapping away on her back. Vera poured herself and Ann a bowl of cereal each before sitting at the table. 

“You’re very good with her, you know. She loves you.” Vera said with a mouthful of cereal. 

“And I love her. The little monkey.” Ann smiled. 

With each passing day, they were becoming more and more like a family. Vera never thought she’d have a proper family, especially after everything she went through with Jake. Neither did Ann. Ann always thought she was going to be forever broken from the trauma of what happened to Charlotte, but things were getting better. She was happy again. 

The pair finished their breakfasts before taking it in turns to get dressed. Ann settled for a tight fitting summer dress whilst Vera picked out her mum jeans and a t-shirt. They somehow managed to colour coordinate, and that made the perfectionist in Ann very happy. They finished packing their bags for the day ahead before setting off in Ann’s car. The aquarium was only a 20 minute drive so it wasn’t too bad, and Grace was behaving. 

Ann and Vera made small talk on the way, discussing how things were going at work at the minute. Luckily, Ann had calmed down a little and hadn’t caused anymore problems. Vera liked to think it was thanks to her. Ann wouldn’t dare tell her that’s the truth. Even Jake and Will had started warming up to Ann. The four of them even went drinking one night with Linda, much to everyone’s surprise, and they all had a lovely night. Jake was suspicious of Vera and Ann’s relationship, but they weren’t paying it no mind. Everyone was due to find out soon enough, but they wanted to keep it between them for as long as possible. It was more interesting when no one knew. 

Ann pulled into the aquarium car park and they got Grace out of the car and into the stroller. Ann picked the bags up and locked the car before walking side by side with Vera to the entrance. They handed over their tickets to the kiosk person and made their way into the brightly coloured building. Once inside, there were a multitude of different coloured tanks with all different kinds of fish and sea creatures. 

“Wow, Gracie! Won’t you look at all this?” Ann said, as she crouched down next to the pushchair and pointed at the fishes. Vera was hesitant about letting her go too close to the tanks, panicking that something would go incredibly wrong and the glass would break. She knew she was being irrational, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Ann noticed her hesitancy and stood back up, placing her hand on top of Vera’s. “I promise it’s safe, babe. They wouldn’t open a place like this if it wasn’t.” she smiled, comforting the shorter brunette. 

“I know...” Vera said, still not sure whether to trust it or not. 

“Here. Let me show you.” Ann walked over to the glass and tapped it gently, creating no response. “See? All good.” she smiled again, hoping it would make her trust her more. 

“Okay... I trust your judgement.” 

“Can I?” Ann asked, reaching out to try and pick Grace up out of the chair. “I want to show her the fish.” Vera nodded. Ann grinned and lifted Grace out of her chair. “Here, Gracie. Look!” Ann walked over to the glass with Ann on her hip, pointing to all the different coloured fish. Grace started tapping on the glass with her fingers and gurgling. Ann gasped and laughed as a fish zoomed past her finger, causing Grace to giggle. Vera smiled, carefully walking over to join them, making sure she was close, but not too close. She carefully placed her hand on the small of Ann’s back. 

“Look at the pretty fishies, Gracie! Aren’t they colourful?” Vera said, speaking at the smiling baby in Ann’s arms. The pair moved onto the next tank, allowing Grace enough time to take in all of the different colours and movements. 

“Oh, Vera. Look at the little Nemo’s!” Ann said pointing out towards the clownfish in the tank. Vera giggled. 

“Are you sure you didn’t want to come here for your own benefit?” Ann blushed and pouted. 

“Hey. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Vera smirked. “Gracie, would you like to go back to your mummy?” Grace started reaching out towards Vera and Vera took her from Ann’s arms. 

“Hi, baby.” Vera cuddled Grace before kissing her on her forehead. 

“Shall we go sit and have some lunch during the next stingray talk?” Ann asked, pointing over to the viewing area where a worker was about to start an educational talk about rays. 

“Sure!” Vera said, walking over to the seated area. Ann pushed the stroller behind her. “I’m going to go change her quickly, then we can grab something to eat. Find somewhere to sit and we’ll find you in a minute.” Vera took the stroller to the bathroom to get Grace changed. 

“Okay, lovely. No worries.” Ann found a couple of seats available and sat down, laying out their lunches for when Vera returned not too long after. 

“Ann? Ann!” Vera called from outside of the seating area. Ann rushed up towards her. 

“What’s wrong? Are you okay? Is Grace okay?” she put her arm round Vera. 

“Hey, we’re okay. I just wanted you to take the pushchair before I drop Grace.” she laughed as she pushed the stroller towards Ann. 

“You had me worried.” Ann took the stroller and pushed it in between their seats. Vera smiled, knowing how much Grace and herself meant to Ann, and how much Ann would do to make sure the both of them were safe. 

“Now let’s get the little monster fed.” Vera said, placing Grace back into the stroller and getting their food out. The couple ate their lunch and fed Grace whilst the worker began their chat about the rays. Their lunch was filled with little ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from Ann as she pointed to the rays for Grace’s benefit. 

Vera’s heart was swelling with joy. They hadn’t said their first ‘I love you’ yet, but Vera knew she was falling for Ann, and fast. She had never truly felt the true feeling of love, but she knew this was it. She was completely and utterly infatuated with Ann and it was making her happier than she had ever been before. Vera knew she wanted to spend everyday with Ann. Forever. Every morning she woke up next to her, she grew more and more in love, and she didn’t want that to stop. 

Once they had finished their lunch and the chat was over, they carried on round the aquarium, showing Grace the octopus’ and anemones. Her little smile lit both of their eyes up. The contrast between how Ann is at work versus how Ann is with Vera and Grace out of work was laughable to Vera, but endearing at the same time. 

After making their way round the aquarium, they returned to Ann’s car and made their way back to Vera’s. Grace was exhausted, so they put her straight to bed then made themselves a hot drink before sitting on the sofa, watching the news. Vera snuggled into Ann’s chest, wrapping her arm around her waist. 

“Today was so lovely, Ann. Thank you so much.” Ann kissed Vera on the head. 

“It was my pleasure, lovely.” she smiled, reflecting on the day. “Maybe you were right. Maybe we did go for my benefit.” Vera laughed. “But did you see those pretty fishes!?” Ann pouted. 

“God, I love you so much.” Vera laughed out. Ann pushed her to sit up and scrunched her eyebrows. 

“What was that?” A smile started forming in the corner of her mouth. 

“I-uh. Nothing.” Vera flustered, growing redder and redder as she bit her lip. She lowered her head, embarrassed. 

“Hey.” Ann whispered, lifting her head up to make their eyes level. “I love you, too.” she smiled, planting a kiss on Vera’s lips. 

“You do?” Vera twisted her lips, anxious for her reply. 

“Yes. I’ve been waiting for the right time to tell you, but you quite literally took the words out of my mouth.” she placed her forehead against Vera’s. “I’ve waited so long for us to get to this level. I’m so happy we’re finally here.” she stroked Vera’s cheek. 

“It’s been a long time coming, eh?” Vera said, smiling. 

“It really has. Am I okay to stay again tonight? I want us to celebrate.” she winked.

“How about you don’t just stay the night.” Ann was confused. 

“What do you mean?” she asked, tilting her head. 

“Move in with me.” Vera said, causing Ann to be taken aback. 

“I...” Ann stuttered, not knowing how to reply. 

“Well... what do you say?”


End file.
